John R. Ammons

John R. Ammons, 76, who loved cats, tent-camping, great food, organ music and westerns, passed away Thursday, July 28, 2022, after a lengthy illness.
His life will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at First United Methodist Church, 800 W. Fifth St., Fort Worth. The Rev. Dr. Mike Marshall and the Rev. Phyllis Barren will officiate. Music will be provided by organist Peggy Graff and soloist Andy Zapata. Friends are invited to wear John’s favorite color, blue.
The service will be livestreamed at www.fumcfw.org/live and will be archived on YouTube and at fumcfw.org/media.
Memorials can be made to Dementia Friendly Fort Worth, 750 W. Fifth St., Fort Worth, Texas 76102.
John Ralph Ammons was born March 13, 1946, in Stephenville to R.C. and Louise Ammons. He was a Boy Scout and graduated as salutatorian from Stephenville High School and with high honors with a math degree from Tarleton State College.
After serving in the Air Force in Iceland (the land of frost and ice, volcanoes, lava, sod-huts, glaciers, trail-markers, midnight sun, twilight days and Northern Lights), Wyoming and Texas, he moved to Fort Worth and worked in data processing. Later, he joined the math testing lab at TCC Northwest. He retired in 2015 after more than 26 years.
John grew up in First United Methodist Church of Stephenville. In 1973, he joined First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth. He met his wife, Marsha, in a singles class in November 1979. They married July 3, 1980.
John and Marsha enjoyed tent-camping in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. They also worked with two Camp Fire clubs simultaneously and were weekend volunteers at Camp El Tesoro for several years.
A lifelong cat lover, John asked Marsha on their first date if she liked cats. Five months after marrying, they got a blue tabby, Rocky. Their first Abyssinian cat, Cinnamon, joined them in 1983, and over the years they lived with many other Abyssinians, a few other domestic shorthairs, several rescue Persians, and numerous other pedigreed cats. Marsha became a cat show judge in The Cat Fanciers’ Association in 2003.
John was a member of Ozark Cat Fanciers, Fort Worth Cat Club, CFA’s Abyssinian Breed Council, Fort Worth Iris Society and Tarleton Alumni Association.
He was predeceased by his parents; parents-in-law, Ken and Fran Zapp; sister-in-law, Cathy Peal; many cats, including his favorite, Pretty Girl; and two dogs, Sunshine and Sandy.
He is survived by his wife, Marsha, of Aledo; his cat crew, led by Dante Mooner and Snowstorm; brother, Roger; sister-in-law, Nancy Burchfield and Tim; nieces and nephew, Holly and Ryan Schuler, Kristi and Bill Bonney, and Ryan Burchfield; his “greats,” Lauren and Lane Owen, Anna and Kate Schuler, and Brenden and Addie Burchfield; cousins, Sherry Arrant, Luther King, Frank King, Karen Bishop, Barbara Stewart, Sharon Stewart, Margaret Ammons, Donna Perio, Cindi Wolcott and others; and many church family members, neighbors, friends and former co-workers.

Brown Owens & Brumley Family Funeral Home
425 S. Henderson St.
(817) 335-4557